diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
index 258a973a1fb8..bfbf4d419f41 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
@@ -345,6 +345,9 @@ static int iio_device_add_event(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 			&indio_dev->event_interface->dev_attr_list);
 		kfree(postfix);
 
+		if ((ret == -EBUSY) && (shared_by != IIO_SEPARATE))
+			continue;
+
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;